Directed by Denis Villeneuve, ‘Dune’ is a science fiction action film and a live-action adaptation of the highly successful 1965 novel of the same name, written by Frank Herbert. The novel was already adapted to film back in 1984, directed by David Lynch, and was even the film debut of Kyle MacLachlan, who starred as the main character, Paul Atreides. The 1984 film, however, was unfortunately panned by critics, receiving very low ratings, and even earned a Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst Picture. The 2021 version aims to right those wrongs and also be the beginning of a new series of films.

2021’s ‘Dune’ is actually part one of a two-part movie as the story of the novel is being split into two separate films, whereas the 1984 film was just a single movie which ended up feeling like a rushed and very condensed version of the story. Timothée Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides, a brilliant and talented young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding. He must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to secure the future of not only his family but his people as well. Along the way, powerful enemies force their way into conflict over the planet’s rare supply of the most precious resource known. Only those who can overcome their fears will survive.

The two biggest features that will grab the audiences’ attention are the breathtaking visuals and star-studded cast which includes Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac as Leto Atreides, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Zendaya as Chani, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Dave Bautista as Glossu Raban, Stellan Skarsgård as Vladimir Harkonnen and more.

Every single actor is perfectly suited to each character. They play their roles incredibly well and have fantastic chemistry with each other on-screen. Whether their roles are big or small, there isn’t a single character who feels out of place and doesn’t belong. Timothée Chalamet in the lead role really shows the struggles and challenges of trying to live up to the expectations of his father, Duke Leto Atreides, and his mentors, Gurney Halleck and Duncan Idaho. Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, and Jason Momoa as Leto, Gurney, and Duncan respectively, all do incredibly well portraying battle-hardened soldiers that Paul aspires to be.

Stellan Skarsgård as the main villain is quite a sight to see with an intimidating and terrifying presence on screen. The main villain’s nephew is played by Dave Bautista, who’s best known for portraying Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy and other MCU movies show no traces of that character and creates a very unique and distinctive role as Raban, which makes great use of his talents and are somewhat reminiscent of his days in the WWE ring.

The filming locations played a major role in bringing the film’s settings to life. Stadlandet in Norway was used for the planet Caladan for its gorgeous landscape, ocean views, and waterfalls, and the scenes for the planet Arrakis were filmed in Liwa Oasis in the United Arab Emirates for its amazing desert views that can be seen for miles. Filming in these locations instead of relying on special effects really helps create some of the most breathtaking scenery and are the perfect backdrops for the story’s fictional locations.

The story of the 1965 novel was famous for its depth of world-building that has rarely been matched in other popular science fiction novels. It is considered by some critics to be the best science fiction book ever written and won a Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966 and even tied with ‘This Immortal’ written by Roger Zelazny for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in the same year.

With the 2021 film of the original novel being split into two movies, this allows much more of the story to be told and stays more true to the source material. While it is easily better than the 1984 version in every way, it does however its own problems with the main issue being the second half of the movie. The first half of the film is solid and incredibly well done, keeping the audience engaged. The second half seems to lose its direction and struggles to find a way to end part one of the story. There are a few occasions that look like it’s leading to the end of the movie but it doesn’t, and when the movie does actually end, it feels a bit abrupt.

The 2021 live-action adaptation of the famous novel ‘Dune’ being split into a two-part movie really helps explore more of the characters and overall lore that the 1984 film missed quite a lot of, which will really please fans of the series. There actually are more books in the ‘Dune’ series that could also be adapted into future movies. Part one starts off really strong but appears to lose its way in the second half not knowing when to end. It’s a film that’s going to have fans and critics divided, but when part two is eventually released in 2023 to finish off the story of the first book, it could change people’s opinions of the first film. As it stands, part one of 2021’s ‘Dune’ overall is a solid beginning to an epic story.

Written by: Sammy Hanson